Method of rendering the mouths of trunks



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

CHARLES H. HINCKLEY, 0F STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF RENDERING THE MOUTHS OF TRUNKS, MAIL-BAGS, &C., WATER-TIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,046, dated August 25, 1857.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. I-IINCKLEY, of Stonington, New London county, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and improved mode of constructing bags for'the transportation of the mail express matter and for other purposes which shall be impervious to water when closed, and that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My improvement consists in applying inflated casements to the interior of clasps for closing the apertures of bags cases and articles of a similar character in order to render them impervious to water when closed.

Figure l (see accompanying drawings) represents a top view of the clasp when open. Figs. 2 and 3 represent side views of the two parts of the clasp divided in the joints a, c. The same letters represent similar parts in each. Figs. l and 5 represent transverse sections of the sides of the clasp with the inflated easement L z, and z'. Figs.

6, 7, 8 and 9, are top views of the parts of the clasp separated from each other. Fig. 10 is a top view of the clasp when closed.

This clasp may be made of iron or brass or any other metal possessing a proper degree of tenacity and strength from two to three inches in width and about one quarter inch thick, with suitable joints a, b, c, cl.

On the side A of the clasp Figs. 1 and 2 is a staple f and a clasp bolt c, and on the side B, is another clasp bolt Z. These lock into the ports Z 7c Z', Fig. 8, when the clasp` is closed and the clasp bolts are turned so as to present an edge view as at Fig. 10 which hold the clasp firmly closed, and it may be locked by a padlock in the staple f. In order to secure a close fitting that shall be impervious to water the side A, B, is lined on the closing side with inflated casements of india rubber or gutta percha in form of the parallel tubes L, h, shown in section at Fig. 4, which is secured rmly to the inner side of the material composing the bag, making a water tight joint therewith, and the outside of the bag is connected firmly to the inside of the clasp frame, which may be done by riveting along the upper edge m or a piece of leather may be attached to the face of the metallic clasp by riveting or otherwise, and this may be connected to the outer surface of the mouth of the bags. The other side C D may in like manner be lined with a single inflated easement or tube i, shown in section at Fig. 5. This when the clasp is closed locks between the former double elastic casements on the side A B as shown at Fig. 11, forming by means of the elastic properties of the lining a water tight tting, so that when the clasp is closed and secured by the proper fastenings the bag is impervious to water even if wholly immersed. The inflated casements h, h, z', should be elastic and eXtensible, in order toallow the joints of the clasp to be opened and closed with freedom and without injury to the lining. A greater number of joints in the clasp may be used if preferred, or the clasp may be similar to that of a common traveling bag with but a single set of joints with a maXillary aperture, and in the latter case instead of inflated casements on both sides of the aperture one of these casements 71;, l1., or z', may be solid or may consist of metal ipipe the elasticity of the others being suflicient to secure perfect contact. The tubular elastic easement should be composed of a sheet of vulcanized india rubber attached to cloth on one side and should be used with the rubber side out to insure greater smoothness of surfaces for contact than is presented by cloth and to prevent such filtrations as would occur with the clothsurface exposed. Or it may be composed of two sheets of vulcanized rubber with cloth between.

The bag may for some uses be constructed of leather lined inside with a sheet of vulcanized india rubber firmly attached thereto and cloth also within the rubber.

Instead of the inflated casements or pipes of india rubber as above described the faces of the clasps may be made as shown at Fig. 12, which represents them in section, where the jaw a is concave or has a groove passing through its length and having a corresponding projection to shut into this groove, but the lining of india rubber passes directly across and over the cavity of the face a and is vulcanized or cemented firmly on both sides thereof so as to leave a tight air chamber or cavity 7L while the convex projecting rib z' closes on the rubber sheet covering this cavity and by pressure thereon causes it to yield in places of first contact till a perfect contact throughout is attained.

A traveling bag fitted with a water tight clasp Will serve also the purpose of a life preserver as Well as a safe depository of valuables at sea; and the owner of such an article Would in case of a Wreck have a double inducement to cling to and endeavor to save his treasure, as by this means lie might also save his life. And a marine safe may also be tted With Water tight clasps on the principle above specified, or a trunk or boX may in like manner be tted With india rubber easements for closing the aperture in Which any article might be preserved from injury from Water even though the Whole should be submerged.

I am aware that the expanding jointed clasp Was patented by Sellers and Pennock, June l2, 1840, and that india rubber packing has been used in various forms, other than that of the inated ribs, for securing Waterproof joints, and that separate tongued and grooved jaws or clasps, for crimping in the material of the bag and thus form a Water tight connection as patented by Robbins and Allen, Sept. 7th, 1852, but Without the inflated ribs, but neither of these do I claim.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention and for which I solicit Letters Patent is,

The application of the iniiated easements or ribs as described, composed of india rubber or other suitable material, to the sides ofv contact of clasps for bags or cases, so that by their yielding Contact the clasp may be closed so as to be impervious to Water.

CHARLES H. HINCKLEY.

Witnesses:

N. SoHoLFmLD, I-I. M. SCHOLFIELD. 

